The link between depression and interpersonal behaviors has long been the subject of theoretical and empirical scrutiny. In
Chronic Depression , authors Jeremy Pettit and Thomas Joiner draw upon the extensive body of research on interpersonal processes of depression and develop a new explanatory framework for this persistent mental illness. Their framework operates with the understanding that depression appears include self-sustaining processes, with these processes being in part interpersonal, and that viewing the processes from an interpersonal standpoint may be useful in applied settings. In this highly readable volume, the authors survey the interpersonal sources of chronic depression, discussing interpersonal processes (stress generation, negative feedback-seeking, interpersonal conflict avoidance, and blame maintenance, among others) that lead to the maintenance of depression. Clinically-relevant examples and dialogues are interwoven in the text to demonstrate how interpersonal relationships can be impacted by these processes, and how they may be addressed in the context of treatment. The ideas presented in this book are sure to be valuable to students who are learning about depression, researchers who study the phenomenon, and therapists working to help clients with seemingly intractable cases of depression.